Air sterilizing and conditioning apparatus



2 SheetsSheet 1 y 5am INVENTOR ATTORNEY D. E. WEHNER Filed July 1 5,- 1955 AIR .STERILIZiNG AND CONDITIONING APPARATUS \N YN N N \N. N

July 14, 1936;

July '14, 1936. 0.1:. WEHNER 2,047,844

AIR s'rnnlmzim AND connnx onme .nrm'rus Filed Ju1y'15 1935 2 Sheetsr-Shee t 2 III k 4 mm um I v H wn a Patented July 14, 1936 PATENT OFFICE v 2,047,844 AIR srsamzmc AND cosnmcum'a mm'rus David a. Wehner, sums rue Pa. Application Jun 15,1935, Serial No. sum

, This invention relates to apparatus for conditioning the air of dwellings, halls, churches, theatres, railway cars, ships, and other places whereby to render the air pure and free of disease bac- 5 term and harmful sediments.

, A further object is to provide apparatus-of this type which combines in a single organization, filters, humidlfying devices, a heater for controlling the temperature from 180 F. to 400 F. to destroy '10 bacteria, and a cooling unit forming the last stage I for tempering the air just prior to its supply to the dwelling, structure or'carrier to which the apparatus is associated.

A further object is to provide apparatus of this 16 I type which is compact, capable of. being economically operated, automatically controlled, and

formed of a few strong,simple and durable parts i which are'easy to manufacture and'which will not easily get out of order.

gu with the above and other objects in view the invention consists of certain novel details, of constru'ction and combinations of partshereinafter fully described and claimed, itbeing understood that various modifications may-be resorted to '25 within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of an apparatus constructed in accordance with the invention;

Figure 2. is a detail cross sectional view taken "on the line 2-2 of Figure 1. g 1 Figure 3 is a detail longitudinal sectionalview showing the humidifier parts on .a larger scale than in Figure 1. I

Figure 4 is a longitudinal sectional view similar to Figure 3 but showing the humidifying wicks choked.

Figure 5 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 55 of Figure 3. a

, Figure .6 is a detail cross sectional view through the solenoid for controlling the grids of the hu- 4 midifying unit..

Referring now to the drawings in which like the tank is again permitted.

other suitable material, between which is confined a filtering element It formed of cotton gauze or other suitable material. A conventional electric fan It is mounted in the casing betweenthe filters to draw air into the casing through 5' the filter I2 andforce the air through the filter ii to remove dust particles and other foreign matter from the air. The lead .wires I1 and I.

of the fan motor are connected to the line supply wires l9 and 20 which supply current to the 10' variouselectrically operated components of the apparatus. Y I

' An electric fan 2| is mountedin the casing beyond the filter l3 and the lead wires 22 and 22 are connected to the line wires i9 and 20. Theliifan 2i forces -the filtered air through a humidifying unit comprising a plurality of wicks 24 which are arranged in vertical rows transversely of the casing, the wicks of each row being stag-'- g'ered relatively to the wicks of the next adjacent an row, as best shown in Figure 5.

The wicks of the humidifying unit are suitably secured at the upper ends to the casing prefer-'- ably being attached to pins 25 depending from Y the top of the casing, by means of tie wires or cords g5 28, as best shown in Figure 3. The lower ends of the wicks extend into a water tank 21 which is provided at the top with a flange 28 which is bolted to the bottom of the casing, as shown at 29. The wicks absorb water from the tank by so; capfllary attraction as will be understood and the forced draft from the fan 2| carries the moisture from the wicks to humidity .the air.

For controlling the humidity withinpredetermined limits a stationary grid III is fixed to one 35 side wall of the tank and is provided with spaced parallel fingers 3| which extend to the opposite side wall of the tank, as shown in Figure 5. A slidable grid 32 is mounted in the plane of the stationary grid by means of guide lugs 32 which 4c are carried by the grid and are slidably fitted in openings 34 formed in the opposite end walls of thetank. The movable grid is provided with spaced parallel fingers Ii which interdigitate with the fingers II of the stationary grid in such manner that each row of wicksis confined be tween 9. fixed finger 3i and a movable finger II.

As a result when the movable grid is moved forwardly the wicks will be pinched or choked above the water level in the tank, as best shown-in l 'igso me 4, to prevent lifting of water, from the tanksthrough the wicks. when the, movable grid is .withdrawnto normal pontion, as best shown in Figure 8, lifting of water through the wicks frbm g x u For controlling the grids 30 and 32 a moisture responsive switch 36 of conventional type is elec-' tricallyg connected tothe line wires |9 and 23 and to a solenoid 31 by means of conductive wires 38 and 39. The solenoid is mounted on the bottom of the casing and the magnetic plunger 40 is connected by a non-magnetic stem 4| to the movable grid. When the switch 36 is closed by excessive humidity the solenoid is energized to move the movable grid and pinch the wicks 24 against the stationary grid to prevent water being lifted from the tank by the wicks. When the humidity falls to a predetermined lower limit the switch opens and de-energizes the electric magnet and permits the normal elasticity of the wicks to return the movable grid to open position and permit further lifting of the water from the tank by the wicks.

Referring again to Figure 1 it will be seen that \the sterilizing unit consists of a plurality of resistance coils 42 which are suitably supported within the casing ID, the lower ends of all of the coils being connected together. in series and being connected to the line wire 20' by a conductor wire 44. The upper ends of the resistance coils are connected by respective conductor wires 43 to stationary switch contacts 41 which may be arranged on a panel 48 secured to the casing. A movable switch contact 49 is connected by a conductor wire 50 to the line wire l9 and is moved upwardly into engagement withthe contacts 41 in sequence to simultaneously energize as many of the resistance coils as may be required to impart a predetermined temperature to the air suflicient to destroy bacteria, which temperature should be within the range of 180 F. to 400 F.

A thermostat 5| of any preferred type is located in the casing in the path of the air emerging from the sterilizing unit and the plunger 52 of the 40 thermostat is connected by a link 53 to a rod 54 which carries the movable switch contact 49 and which is slidably mounted on a guide 55 on the easily operate the switch contact 49. The thermostat through the connections just described 50 automatically cuts in or cuts out as many of the resistance coils as may be necessary to maintain the specified range of temperatures in the air stream emerging from the sterilizing unit.

The cooling unit forms the last stage and tem- 55 pers the air just prior to its supply to the dwelling; structure or carrier with which the apparatus is associated. The unit comprises upper and lower headers 59 and 60 which are connected by vertical pipes 6| the pipes preferably being arranged 60 within the casing l0 and the headers outside of the casing. The headers and pipes are filled with brine or other suitable cooling medium which is caused to circulate by a pump 62 the outlet of which is connected to the lower header and the inlet of which is connected to a pipe 63 which enters the lower header 64 of a refrigerating chamber 65. The upper header B6 of the chamber is connected to the upper header of the cool- 70 ms unit by a pipe 61. The upper and lower headers of the refrigerating chamber are connected 'by vertical pipes 68 through which the brine is circulated by the pump. In the spaces around the pipes 68 a refrigerant is circulated by a motor 7 driven refrigerating unit 69 of the conventional compressor type, which is connected to the upper and lower ends of the chamber by pipes Ill and H.

- The brine is automatically maintained at a predetermined temperature by means of a heat responsive switch 12 which is disposed withiri the 5 outlet 13 of the casing It. The switch is preferably of the mercury type moving a stem 14 which carries a switch contact 15 into or out of engagement with a fixed switch contact 16. A conductor wire 11 connects the fixed switch contact with 10 the main line wire 20. A conductor 18 connects the movable switch contact I5 with one of the motor terminals 19 of the refrigerating unit. A conductor wire 33 connects the other terminal of the refrigerating unit motor to one terminal 15 of a motor 8| which drives the pump 62 .by means of a belt drive 82. The other terminal of the from gaseous to liquid form in the usual manner I and delivered to the spaces between the pipes 68 to lower the temperature of the brine. When the predetermined temperature is restored in the outlet 13 the circuit is opened by disengagement of the switch contact I5 from the switch contact 16 to de-energize both motors.

In operation, air is drawn into the casing I. through the filter l2 by the fan l6 and forced through the filter II by the combined action'of the fan liand the fan 2|. The filtered air is then forced .by the fan 2| against the damp wicks 24, and through the spaces between the wicks, and moisture is taken up to humidify the air. The humidified air is blown against the coils 42, and through the spaces between thecoils, where high temperatures are encountered sufhcient to destroy all bacteria. The bacteria free air then impinges against the cooling pipes 5| and during passage through the spaces between the pipes the temperature is lowered to a predetermined degree which will be comfortable to the occupants of the dwelling, structure, or carrier with which the apparatus is associated.

The motors of the fans It and 2| are controlled by a rheostat 34 to supply air in any predetermined volume tosuit conditions to be encountered. The humidifying, sterilizing and cooling units are-automatically controlled by their respective-moisture and temperature responsive switches so that the apparatus automatically maintains predeterminedtemperature and humidity in the air freed from bacteria and harmful sediments.

For automatically supplying the tank with water, a water supp y Pipe 35 enters the tank and is provided with a valve 3| which is controlled by a float l1.

From the above description it is thought that the construction and operation of the invention willl be fully understood without further expla-Jo no. on.

What is claimed is:

1. In air conditioning apparatus, the combination of a casing having inlet and outlet openings, means for creating aforced draft from the inlet --the easing,

'to the outlet opening,- iilters in the near the inlet opening, a water tank associated with wicks extending through the casing from the water tank in the path of said forced draft for humidifylng the air, moisture respon-' sive means for controlling the capacityof the wicks to lift water from the tank, a heater for heating the humidified air to a predetermined temperaturesumcient to destroy bacteria, and

means for cooling the humidified bacteria free air.

2. In air conditioning apparatus, the combination of a casing having inlet and outlet openings,

electric fans for creating a forced draft from the inlet to the outlet opening, filters near'the inlet opening in the path of the forced draft, a water tank associated with the casing beyond the filters, wicks in the casing in said forced draft and projecting into the water tank, interdigltating grids for choking the humidifyingvwicks to preventv lifting of water from the tank, a moisture responsive switch for controlling the grids, a heater for heating the air to a temperature sufliclent to destroy bacteria, and a cooling unit for tempering the humidified bacteria free air.

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